Crazy Eights Rules Overview:

The game Crazy Eights is a rather popular card game that can be enjoyed by individuals of all ages. Any number of individuals between two and eight are able to play the game, and while more people playing the game can add to the intrigue and excitement, it also makes a shorter game span for many of the players, simply because there are fewer cards available for each. However, if you are looking for a fun time to bring people to gather, there sometimes is nothing better than a deck of cards, and Crazy Eights does everything you want it to.

Crazy Eights Setup and Deal Rules:

To play, you need a standard 52 card deck. If, however, you are looking to play with six individuals or more, you need to use two different deck of cards together. It is better for both decks to look the same, as different decks can make it easier to monitor what cards are available. When beginning the game, there is an intro dealer. It does not matter who is dealing the cards out, as all of the cards are dealt out face up. The individual dealing the cards gives a card to each player one at a time, and the individual who receives the first ace becomes the official first dealer (of course, you can always make it the first person who lands a king or any other card, but in general, it is an ace).

Now, the official first dealer must shuffle the cards. Once done shuffling, they place the deck next to the player on their right, who then cuts the cards. After the cards have been cut, the dealer dishes out a single card, one at a time, face down, to the player on their left in a clockwise motion. If you are playing with just two individuals, each player is going to receive seven cards. However, if you are playing with three or more, each person is going to receive five cards. The remainder of the deck you do not use dealing is placed faced down in the center of the table and the dealer flips over the top card and places it in a separate pile, directly next to the deck. This is known as the “Starter.” If the card is an eight, the card is inserted into the middle of the deck and then another card is flipped up.

Crazy Eights Gameplay Rules:

While playing, you want to be the first player to get rid of all of your cards. To start the game, the individual on the left of the dealer must play a card on the starter pile that matches the card currently on the pile. This means if their is a king of hearts showing, the player must either place in a king or a heart. If they have a card that matches, they simply toss down the card and  it is the next players turn. However, if they don’t have a card, they must continue to draw from the middle of the deck until they do. During some games, you are going to find that the deck is completely used up before someone has used up all of their cards on the starter deck. If this happens to you, simply pass and continue play as until it is your turn and you have a legal play. The player at the end of the round that uses up all of their cards wins the round. If you have an eight, you can use this at any time, regardless of what the current card is.

If you are playing multiple rounds, you need to keep score. The player that wins collects the score of the cards that all of the other players have. Each eight is worth 50 points. Face cards and 10s are worth 10 points, an ace are worth one and number cards are worth the number on the card. You can decide what point value total wins the final game (such as 500 points), but whoever reaches the final point total at the end is going to win the complete game of Crazy Eights. This is a great game for any and all who love cards.